2013: A historic year for the supporters clubs

2013: A historic year for the supporters clubs

2013 will be remembered as a turning point for the movement

We are on the point of leaving 2013 behind, and as usual this is the moment to look back at the year gone by. It is not just a year that will be remembered for yet more success on the pitch, including the 100-point league title win under Tito Vilanova. The supporters clubs movement has also made a huge leap forward through the implantation of the Penyes Segle XXI project.

The structure of the movement has undergone major modification. The new system increases self-management through the combined efforts of the club and its supporters.

Counting ourselves

The year started with the continuation of the census. As decided at the previous congress, there was a need to count how many we are and understand the true scope of the movement.

The process ended on June 30, whereby FC Barcelona was able to show that it has more supporters club members than any other sports club in the world. And that doesn’t just mean in terms of the number of clubs, but also the number of individual members. In June, there were 138.454 of us.

Being identified

Even so, quality means more than quantity, and these 138.454 people are also receiving supporters club membership cards. Once the census was completed, work began on producing these cards, definitive identification of members’ roles as part of official FC Barcelona supporters clubs.

Being organised

2013 also brought about organisational changes. The 35 zones were transformed into 30 territorial federations, each represented by its own board.

This helps to manage the movement. In each zone, there is a specific team working on its own people’s interests

The year also saw the Supporters Clubs Advisory Council turn into the Supporters Clubs Council. Also to improve self-management, each zone is represented by at least one delegate.

Voice in the club

But reforms to the statutes also mean that clubs not only have a voice in the movement, but also in the club itself. The Supporters Club Council delegates are also assembly delegates, where they get both a voice and a vote.

These changes add a new dimension to the movement, a powerful movement that will continue to work to foster Barça around the world as the excellent ambassadors for the club that they are.

Força Barça
Força Barça

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